Diamonds Have Been Replaced

No longer are diamonds a girl's best friend. At least not this girl – this married girl with a baby, traveling from Ohio to Seattle. Nope, this girl's new best friend is the Koala Bear Kare changing station. (Btw, it makes me ill when people spell things all cutsie, like the "k" in what should be "care".)

Moving on...Preston was a dream baby yesterday. He didn't cry one time on the plane and was a hit with the ladies. He even became buddies with the gentleman who was seated with us.

That being said, Preston was also a pooping machine yesterday, and if it wasn't for these Koala stations placed every 100 yards in the airports, I'd been in trouble. Preston left a present at the Columbus airport, the Chicago airport (twice in fact), somewhere over the Rocky Mountains, and at the Seattle-Tacoma airport. And this just covered 7 hours of our day.

Our little man has continued to be quite busy, so I've put a call into Dr. Ben's office. Hopefully he's just got a case of traveler's revenge.

(Side note... one day when Preston is older, I'll share this post with his girlfriend. Or at least use it as blackmail in some way. Yep, I'm going to be one of those Moms.)

Washington or Bust.

In less than a week, at a mere 13 weeks of age, baby Preston will be earning his wings. That's right folks, we're Seattle-bound for a 12-day trip!

This inevitably means that Jeremy and I are now going to be "that f'n annoying couple who took their screaming baby on a 4.5 hour flight." We're about to become the people we've despised and bitched about for many, many trips. The tides have most certainly turned and I am terrified of the fate that lies ahead.

In preparation for our journey, I've been online researching travel tips and checklists. The amount of stuff this kid is going to need for two weeks is nearly ridiculous! But with a baby, I've learned quickly that you can never play it too safe. You really do kind of need EVERYTHING for all WHAT-IF scenarios – because they CAN and WILL happen.

Flyingwithkids.com suggested this travel tip:

• Wear spunky clothes and dark glasses so that other passengers think you are someone famous enjoying quality time with your kids.

Oh yeah, sure. I'll put that costume change right up there on the priority list with remembering onesies, sleepers, socks, diapers, Ass Clay®, bath wash, lotion, medicine, the snot sucker, ear swabs, wipes, the binky, rattle, blankets, sheets, bottles, drop-in refills, bibs, a thermometer, receiving towels, disinfectant, a sun hat, jacket, stoller, the birth certificate, books, nail clippers, travel swing, toys, mobile, and the Snugli. And that's just for baby.

I'll be lucky to remember to pack my own underwear and these people are suggesting I play dress-up? As if.

Who's Your Daddy?

Two little men.
Same masculine sailor outfit.
30 years apart.

This Book is No Joke

This book was recommended to me by Dr. Ben at Preston's one-month well visit. At that time my sweet babe had his days and nights mixed up and sleep-wise nothing was consistent. True to Kate nature, I bought the book on Amazon as soon as I got home.

I've been reading the book and applying many of its practices since I put Preston in his crib five weeks ago. The book walks you through baby's sleep patterns with reference to their age – it's kind of like the "What to Expect When You are Expecting" of sleep books.

The beauty of this book is it leaves no stone unturned. It literally teaches you, in an easy-to-read fashion, how to read your baby's body language. These signals will alert you to when it's time for naps and when it's time for bed.

Weissbluth believes that children's sleep patterns are developed between the ages of four to six months. His theory is that babies need to be taught to self-soothe and taught to fall asleep unaided before the four month mark hits.

So in the past five weeks Preston and I have learned a lot about napping and sleeping. And today we hit the mother load of accomplishments. Last night, Preston took his bottle at 6:00, fell asleep, and didn't wake up until 7:30 this morning! He slept nearly 12 hours and didn't even wake for a bottle. And to top it all off, he took his first crib nap today completely unaided. I followed his sleepy cues, put him in his crib, he fussed for 5 minutes, then conked out.

I'm beside myself. If Weissbluth was here himself, I'd give him a big ol' tongue kiss and an ass slap.

Well done chap, well done.

It's a Miracle

Yesterday morning Preston woke with his first hint of diaper rash. Until this morning, poo has spent a maximum duration of 5 minutes on his cheeks because he usually poos while he's awake, and we take care of it promptly. But, this time he poo'd his sleep, so it could have been there, drying on his tiny derriere, for at least 5 hours. Anywho, the poo had left him a little rash.

So I got out the ol' Butt Paste – I really think this stuff should be called Ass Clay, as it looks like and is as thick as Ohio River mud. I wiped this expensive concoction (about 5 bones for 2 ounces) all over his rump and diapered him back up.

Two hours go by and it's time for a diaper change. The Butt Paste was stuck to every little nook and fold of my son's nether-region, but the rash was COMPLETELY GONE!

I heart Ass Clay®. (I made that ® part up, in case you were wondering.)